


Trickster

by Always111



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Norse Gods - Fandom, Norse Religion & Lore
Genre: F/F, F/M, Genderfluid Loki (Marvel), Hurt Loki (Marvel), Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:41:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22182754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Always111/pseuds/Always111
Summary: Mostly writing because I need a break from my two other works, this may not have an ending. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.Bunch of Norse Myths except it's Marvel style, so Thor is Loki's brother. Set after Endgame.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Loki/Sigyn (Norse Religion & Lore)
Kudos: 3





	1. Sif and the Hammer

"Shhh!" Loki hissed at me, as a floorboard squeaked. I grinned and nodded back, watching his eyes sparkle with mischief. I loved my husband when he was in this mood. Generally, Loki could be moody and angry, but sometimes, especially when he stirred up mischief, he was his real, sparkling self.

He crept along in front of me, his green, black, and gold robes catching the light, and he turned into Thor's chamber. Rumbling sounds echoed out into the hall. There Thor lay beside Sif, snoring like the thunder he was the god of. I bit back a giggle as Loki unsheathed a pair of scissors and leaned over Sif, silently beginning to cut her hair. 

When most of the golden hair was gone, Loki scooped up the evidence and backed out, collapsing next to me where we broke into silent laughter.

There came a scream and a roaring sound and Thor stampeded out of the room, looking straight at us.

"Brother! What is the meaning of this terrible trick?" he cried, his face red with anger. He grabbed Loki by the throat and slammed him against the wall, spittle flying from his mouth. "How dare you dishonor my lady in this way?"

Loki thrashed against his brother's grip. Thor could get very angry and we both knew it. But he'd never kill one of us, especially not me, being a woman.

"Put him down, Thor," I said calmly. Thor dropped Loki, who fell to the ground and coughed.

"I will make it up to you, brother," offered Loki, when he could speak. "What would you like me to do in payment?"

"Get her hair," Thor paused for a moment, his brain working faster than usual, "and make it out of gold."

Loki nodded and I helped him to his feet. with one last look of burning rage, Thor hurried back in, to his sobbing wife.

***** SVARTELFHEIM *****  
Loki and I entered Svartelfheim, where we were conducted toward the chief, Ivaldi. Ivaldi promised to make hair for Sif. Loki and I stayed on Svartelfheim until the hair was made.

"Shall we go home on the morrow?" I asked that night, as he stood at the door with his hands clasped behind his back. He turned and smiled cunningly, his black curls falling across his face and his blue eyes flashing.

"Oh no, dear Sigyn. I have plans for to-morrow that you shall find out."

And he transformed himself into a fly and flew away.

I loved my silver-tongued husband. He was handsome, clever, funny, eloquent, and most of all, so very, very loyal. He would gladly give his life for my safety, and there were few that had the honor of being close to him. But he'd always been mistreated, even as a child. Odin had kept the truth of his parentage a secret for years, and when Loki found out, his heart was broken. I'd watched him crumble inside as the gods called him 'evil one' and 'trickster god' and punished him mercilessly for the smallest of crimes. As I thought this, I heard voices in my head; Loki, talking to the dwarves Brokkir and Sindri. 

"I bet my head you cannot make weapons as grand as those that Ivaldi's sons make," Loki was saying. I frowned. He really was in a reckless mood.

"We accept the challenge," said Sindri.

"You best say farewell to your head, God," said Brokkir. 

Their conversation continued as if Loki had left the room, but as they began to forge, I heard two yelps of pain and understood Loki's plan; to sting them while he was in his wasp form. Minutes later, Loki reappeared in our room.

"Loki, don't you think that's dangerous?" I asked incredulously. He sank into a chair, exhausted. Shapeshifting sometimes drained his powers like that.

I sat down beside him and took his hand in silence, toying with his cool, slim fingers. He turned his head toward me and I tenderly pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose, and then his beautiful lips. He smiled tiredly and lay back.

I lay beside him and we descended into sleep.

*****  
"Sigyn, they are forging the next weapons. I must go."

I nodded sleepily as Loki left the room, and listened to the voices in my head.

"That boar Gullinbursti is wonderful, brother, but I will make something better," said Brokkir. I heard a quiet yelp and a curse.

"And that lovely ring is wonderful, brother, but I will better it as well!" replied Sindri.

"Then let us create together," Brokkir said. "we will make a weapon such as you have never seen."

"That wasp has stung my eye, brother, but I will do my best," Sindri said, and I imagined blood pouring from his eyelid. "I say we make a hammer that produced lightning."

The voices faded and Loki appeared in our room, immediately stumbling on the landing.

"All that shapeshifting is wearing you down, my love," I said, catching him and pulling him into bed beside me. "Sleep now."

Loki complied and was asleep within minutes.

The next day, Ivaldi, Brokkir, and Sindri traveled with us back to Asgard with their creations. They would not let us see them and we were dying to see what Sif's hair looked like. The dwarves marched into the court and bowed to Odin.

"Odin, all-father, I bring your son Thor a gift of golden hair for his wife Sif, made by the finest craftsmen in all the nine realms." boomed Ivaldi, presenting the hair. Thor took it and it somehow attached to Sif's head, growing there like true hair.

"Odin, all-father, we were challenged by Loki to best Ivaldi," called Brokkir. "Ere we present Gullinbursti, the golden boar, who can run faster than any horse and in night or darkness. This is for Frey."

"And we present to you Mjolnir, the hammer of lightning, to your son Thor. It will return to his hand and its power will never run low," added Sindri, holding out the hammer. Both gods accepted these gifts.

"And now, Loki, we require your head!" they both called, unsheathing knives. The court simultaneously gasped. I grabbed Loki's hand and saw that he was frightened.

"I promised my head but not my neck!" Loki said, and the dwarves howled with anger.

"The silver tongue has deceived us!" roared Sindri. "We will silence him!"

Brokkir produced a large silver needle and Sindri some thread. Their meaning could not have been clearer.

"Loki," called Odin. "You must do as they say."

I grabbed Loki to stop him walking forward but he kissed me gently and pushed me away, into the arms of the warriors three. Loki knelt in front of the dwarves, his body upright and proud, his eyes on the dwarves as they approached with the needle and thread.

I heard the first stitch go through with the horrible, pain-filled yell Loki gave. I thrashed and writhed, trying to break free of the warrior's clutches, but they were stronger. "Loki! No! Stop!" I screamed until one of the warriors placed a hand over my mouth. I could see flecks of blood coating Loki's clothing and the dwarves arms and still they continued, Loki writhing in pain. I could see Sindri's look of glee at the god's pain. Loki slumped to the ground, unconscious, as they finished the last stitches and tied it off.

"We have our reward!" called Sindri, kicking my husband aside. "We shall take our leave!" 

And the dwarves left the court.

The warrior's three let me go and I rushed to Loki, turning him over and placing his head on my lap. It lolled to the side and I saw the blood pouring from his beautiful lips. Ugly stitches kept his lips sewn shut. I gestured to the warrior's three and they hurried over to help me lift him. 

Loki was carried to our room, where they laid him on the couch and helped me take off his bloodstained clothing. He lay there shirtless in his trousers while I wiped down his face and hair, and groaned now and then in his unconsciousness. Eventually, his eyes flickered and opened up. He moaned into his lips.

"Loki," I whispered, tenderly stroking his hair. "I'm so sorry. Your beautiful lips..."

He tried to open his mouth and a ragged sound came from his mouth as pain set in. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he realized he could no longer speak.

I pressed one hand on his frantically beating heart and another on his cheek and whispered loving things into his ear to help him through the pain. Thranduil produced thin scissors to cut the stitches. We couldn't let them set or he'd never be able to talk again.

He thrashed as we cut through the stitches and pulled them out, but as quickly as blood began to pool I'd wipe it away and continue to hold him, comfort him. 

When we were finished he lay still, trying to hold back the tears, and managed to wait until the warriors left before breaking down. He was sitting up and as I hugged him he cried into my shoulder.

I always knew I was lucky at the amount of trust Loki gave me. Being able to cry in front of me was one of the most touching compliments he could give me.

"It's okay to cry," I whispered into his hair. "It's okay."


	2. The Giant and his Stallion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this may be a little disturbing, it's not rape but it's similar. I DO NOT GO INTO DETAIL. You'll understand why when you read it- my puny mortal brain doesn't need images like that in my head. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

"All gods to assemble in the court!"

Loki and I followed the call to Odin's court, where a Giant was kneeling. Odin spoke.

"Speak, before we deal with you justice of your race."

"All-father, I have come to offer you a wall around your city, that no man can penetrate." growled the Giant. "I am a mighty builder and can finish it in three seasons. I have only three payments; the sun and the moon, and the hand of the goddess Freyja in marriage."

Everyone in court murmured with anger at his request and Odin waved the Giant out so that the counsel could talk. Freyja had stiffened beside me.

"Father, I refuse to wed that feral beast!" she called, and I nodded firmly beside her. Odin sighed.

"We could use the wall, although we cannot let him succeed."

Loki stepped forward.

"if I may interject?"

"Loki, God of Mischief and Husband of Sigyn, speaks." called the timekeeper. Loki cleared his throat. "The Giant wants three seasons. I say give him one, and see how he struggles! Perhaps he will almost finish it and we will have a wall made but not finished. Then we will not give Freyja nor the sun or moon."

Murmurs arose from the assembled court at the idea. Loki stepped back into place. His lips were healed, but he had scars that would never disappear; white dots on his red lips, a reminder of his foolishness. 

The court came to an agreement and the Giant was called back in.

"We make a proposition," called Odin. "You receive one winter to build the wall. If it is not complete by the end of winter, you do not receive your prize."

The Giant nodded and began work the next day.

Loki and I observed the Giant from our balcony. He owned a large and fearsome stallion, taller than any other horse and as strong as an elephant. It dragged boulders as if they were pebbles and did more then half the work. Loki and I looked at each other, nervous, but hoping that his plan would work.

When there were two days left of winter, and the wall was almost complete, the gods called a court.

"Your plan has not worked!" roared Odin, pointing at Loki. I pushed myself in front of him and held up my arms.

"Please, All-father, Loki did not know of this stallion. It has super speed and strength and carries more than half the work! Do not punish him for such a surprising mistake."

"Stand down, Lady Sigyn." retorted Odin, rising from his throne. "As for you, Loki, you are tasked with keeping the stallion away all of the morrow. Do not let him return. Seduce him if you must, but we must keep Freyja here on Asgard."

My jaw dropped and Loki took my hand, silently warning me not to lose my temper. They were asking Loki to seduce a stallion, taking advantage of his genderfluid properties and shapeshifting powers, because he hadn't foreseen a complication. I felt Loki tug me away and to our room, where he closed the door and turned to me.

"How could they?!" I fumed, pacing the floor. "Do they understand what they're asking of you? Would any of them care to take your job?"

"Sigyn, please, come with me to-morrow," pleaded Loki, looking frightened. "I will do as they say, but I would feel better if I had a rider with me."

I nodded and stroked his hair back behind his ear. "Loki, I don't want you to do this, but I will come if it helps you," I promised.

***** THE FOREST *****  
I sat rigidly on Loki's back, transformed into a mare. She had a black mane and a grey body, and her eyes had deep green points. We were standing in the shade of the trees, watching the stallion.

"There he is," I whispered to Loki, and he moved into the open, arched his neck, and gave a whinny.

The stallion looked over and gave a snort, tearing at his ropes. He broke the ropes and bolted toward us. Just as quickly Loki and I turned and galloped into the forest.

I ducked my head to avoid branches as we galloped through the snow, the rough, hot breath of the stallion at Loki's tail. We tore right into the heart of the forest, where Loki balked at the close-growing trees and turned. I was knocked from her back as the stallion reared up and landed at the base of the trees.

I knew what was happening without looking, could hear Loki's frightened whinnies and the stallion's snorts, and I curled myself into a ball and blocked my ears. I stayed like that for what seemed like hours, now and then hearing a neigh of pain and the stallion's breathing. 

Finally, there was silence. A muzzle touched my back and I opened my eyes, seeing that the stallion had gone and Loki was lying in a heap on the floor, still in mare form. That was odd. Why would she stay like that?

"Loki?" I pressed my hand to her muzzle and she looked into my eyes, begging for help. I inspected her belly and knew that she was bleeding, but that wasn't the main problem. I sensed a growing presence within her.

"You're pregnant," I gasped and leaned down to kiss her muzzle. "Would you like me to speed it up?"

The mare whinnied. I pressed a healing hand on her belly and watched as it grew and grew, finally grown large enough for her body to start spasming, and then I sat by her head as she labored. It was hours until she was finished.

The mare transformed back into Loki, naked and exhausted in the snow beside an eight-legged grey foal. I took off my cloak and hung it around him to give him some dignity. When he had rested, I helped him to his feet and we hobbled through the trees back to the palace. 

It was midnight when we reached the castle. I deposited the foal in Odin's stables and half-carried Loki to our chambers. He was in pain from the mothering and birth of the foal and I healed his pain with my glowing magic. Then he collapsed on the bed and slept.

I was told that the giant was killed and the wall ours to keep, but I didn't care, I was filled with anger at the court. They'd forced Loki to do so many awful, soul-breaking things and it was time they paid.


	3. Idun and the Apples

"Loki," I said one morning, as we lay there, still half-asleep. "Don't you ever wish you could just leave the gods, go live on Midgard?"

Loki turned over to look at me, his eyelids heavy from sleep. One arm wrapped around my back and pulled me closer.

"This is our job, Sigyn," Loki replied thoughtfully. "I do wish I did not have to be a part of the court, or Odin's consort on his trips, like today."

I squirmed into his chest and pressed my head against him. His head lay above mine.

"As marvelous as this is, my dear, perhaps we should arise," Loki suggested.

"But I don't want to!" I whined. Loki rolled over me and out of the bed, pulling the blankets with him. I groaned in the cold air as Loki playfully grabbed my ankles and dragged me out of bed. We ended up in a giggling heap on the floor.

As Loki dressed I started combing his hair, something I loved to do but often was denied as Loki would not let anyone touch his beautiful hair. However, this morning he was feeling lenient and let me do two thin braids on one side of his hair. When he looked in the mirror, my red hair was braided in among his own.

"A love braid?" asked Loki quizzically, turning his head left and right. I nodded and he kissed my cheek before donning his green cloak and leaving our chambers with a "farewell".

He was to join Odin and Thor on a journey into the western mountains to educate some children on lore. He would be back in a day's time, but the city felt empty without him. I had two warrior friends, Asta and Ingrid. The three of us had been taught healing sorcery from Frigg, like Loki had learned magic. We'd also learned to fight together. I went to the arena and sure enough, there they were.

"Sigyn! Come, we're teaching Idun to fight!" called Asta, tugging on Ingrid's arm. They were with the high Goddess Idun, who we all liked as she was kind and funny, but perhaps not as intelligent as she might be. Idun was holding a dagger as if it might burst into flame.

I summoned a dagger and approached Idun. She blocked my first strike and tried to hit me but I knocked the dagger from her fingers. She yelped as it hit the floor beside her foot.

"Doing well, Idun." I complimented her. She swept her golden hair out of her eyes and tried again. This time she lasted longer. We all cheered as she disarmed me and stood proudly.

***** THE NEXT DAY *****  
"Sigyn!"

"Loki!"

He looked exhausted and he almost collapsed into my arms. I staggered and laughed as he walked toward our rooms as if he was in a dream.

Once he had undressed he wasted no time in climbing into bed and shutting his eyes. I sat cross-legged beside him in my nightdress.

"So, how was it?"

"Terrible," he murmured into the pillow. I prodded him and he opened his eyes with a sigh. "Odin didn't need me. He spent the whole time talking and then we bowed and left."

I frowned. He usually went into more detail than this.

"So... What aren't you telling me?" I prodded. Loki shrugged. "I know you're not telling me something, Lokes."

Loki raised an eyebrow at the nickname but shook his head. "That's all. We went walking, talked to some children, and walked back."

I knew he was keeping something from me but I didn't want to pry, so I lay down beside him, hands behind my head, watching the ceiling. Loki yawned an enormous yawn and turned over, snuggling into the mattress. I'd find out eventually. I'd spent too long as the God of Lies' lover, and he didn't keep secrets anymore. Not from me.

The next morning, Loki wasn't in bed. This wasn't unusual as he often sneaked into the library early to borrow a book and tuck himself up in the window seat to read, but I couldn't see his shape behind the curtains. I frowned and got out of bed, pulled aside the gauzy curtains and looked out the window.

Loki and Idun were just rounding the wall that led to the forest. I frowned and dressed as quickly as possible, having noticed Idun's basket of golden apples under her arm, and hurried outside and into the forest. There was a scream through the dark trees and I crept forward in time to see an enormous eagle pick up the goddess and her apples and fly away. Loki was watching without emotion. As the eagle flew away, I jumped out of the trees and slapped Loki hard across the face.

"What in Hel are you doing?" I yelled at him, and he backed up against the tree. "Do you want to be banished?"

"I swear I couldn't do anything else!" retorted Loki, grabbing my wrists and holding them at my sides. I twisted but he was stronger than me. "The eagle made me promise!"

"Let- go- of me!" I yelled back, but he held my wrists firm. My back hit the tree and I stared into his eyes, trying to read the emotion there.

"Sigyn, you cannot tell anyone what happened here!" Loki said urgently. "I would have died had I not promised Idun and her apples to the eagle."

I kicked him in the groin and he dropped my wrists with a groan. "Loki, come with me. You are telling the court what happened immediately!" I ordered him. He grimaced as I grabbed his hand and pulled him back toward the city.

*****  
"What on earth...?" I gasped. As we walked, my skin was turning wrinkled and old. When I looked at Loki, his hair had turned grey, and mine white. I stared at him in panic and ran as fast as I could toward the court, where the other gods were assembled, all looking old as well.

"...Last seen?" Odin was asking as we entered. I pushed Loki forward and he raised his hand.

"The last I have seen of Idun was this morning," Loki said quickly. Odin interrupted before he could continue.

"Aha!" cried the all-father, pointing at Loki. "So our trickster has done it again. We shall torture the information out of you if you do not tell us exactly where she is, right now."

"I was about to say that a giant in disguise kidnapped her and took her back to Thrymheim!" Loki said clearly. The gods began to talk among themselves. Odin raised a hand and silence fell.

"Very well, trickster," he said. "You shall fly to Thrymheim and steal her back, lest we all perish of old age. Freyja, lend good Sigyn your feathers, so Loki may have someone to help bring back the apples.

I accepted the feathers from Freyja as gracefully as I could while fuming inside. Loki nodded and the court was dismissed.

***** THRYMHEIM *****  
My body was sleek and my eyes powerful. I could see the giant Thjazi fishing in a river, and Idun sitting at the window of his house. We were far up in the mountains, where the snow-capped peaks brooded over silent forests. Loki swept toward the Goddess and used his illusions to transform her into a nut. I grabbed the basket of apples, which also transformed into a nut, and we flew away as quickly as possible.

Very soon we heard the shriek of anger and Thjazi took to eagle form, flying after us. As we approached Asgard, our wings hurting and lungs burning with the effort, we saw the gods building a great fire. As we sped over it they lit it and the flames disintegrated Thjazi immediately.

I set down the nut and Loki did the same beside me, using the last of his powers to lift the illusions on himself and the nuts. I took off Freyja's cloak of wings and collapsed to the floor, burns along my midsection and arms. Loki was luckier and quickly picked me up and ran me to the healer's chamber.

Everything hurt. I felt like I was one big ball of pain, burned and tired and sore, and unable to take a good breath of air. Loki's cool fingers caressed my skin as the healer's worked their magic above me. Being a jotun, Loki's skin was always cooler than most of us. He put his palm on one of my burns and immediately soothed the area.

It was a few hours before the healers fixed me up, and then one of them cleared their throats.  
"My lady, we have news for you." said one, and they looked around for Loki, who had just left. "You are, um, pregnant."

I gaped at them and felt tears come into my eyes. I jumped off the bed and rushed from the room to find Loki.

"Loki!" I shrieked, racing toward him and flinging my arms around him. He looked surprised but accepted the hug, stroking my hair. 

"What is it, my dear?" he asked, looking confused. I broke away and looked up at him with happy tears in my eyes.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered, and his face was a mixture of shock, happiness, and fear as he stared at me. Then tears came to his eyes and he picked me up and twirled me around. As he set me down, he knelt and pressed his lips to my belly.

"I'm going to be a father," he whispered, his eyes full of tears. I tousled his black hair and smiled, half-crying. 

"Yes," I whispered back, hands on my belly. "The best."


	4. Children

Loki's foal, Sleipnir, became Odin's horse, as he was the fastest to ever run the land. Loki tried to disconnect himself from the animal but every time Sleipnir saw him, he came up and whinnied and rubbed his head against Loki's arm. 

Meanwhile, I was growing very big. Loki had become very protective of me and tried to get me to stay in our rooms all day, but I told him I was being silly and continued going on walks. Loki stopped going to court, saying that his wife required attention, and would spend days planning what we would name our child. If it was a boy, it would be named Narvi, and if it was a girl, Kari. 

The night the baby was born Loki was the most wonderful he could be. It was the tradition for the woman to stay together and the men to go out to celebrate, but Loki did not have many friends and preferred to help me. He stayed in the room, letting me squeeze his hand so tightly I probably put fingernail marks in his hands, and continued to talk me through the pain. The night was so long but when it was finished, Narvi lay in my arms, fast asleep, with his little squished-up face. The healers had worried because being half-jotun, he may be hurt by my heat, but Loki used some of his powers to make sure my womb was cooler than usual. He lay in bed beside me, his arms around both of us, almost overflowing with both joy and exhaustion.

Narvi was very intelligent and began to talk quickly. He had black hair like his father and my green eyes. Loki was my constant companion as I recovered, helping me heal, and looking after Narvi. He broke all the expectations around men in Asgard and shocked the court.

When Narvi was five, Balder returned to Asgard to inform Odin of strange visions he'd been having. Balder was the most spoilt, handsome, and annoying brat of a God and Loki and I loved pranking him. He had been having visions of dying and horrible things happening to him.

Frigg, Thor and Balder's mother, went to everything in the world and made it promise not to harm Balder, but Loki discovered that the mistletoe had not promised. He carved a small arrow and waited his chance.

Frigg told the gods what she'd done and we had a great time throwing things at Balder and watching them bounce off. Loki crept up to Hod, the blind man, and handed him the mistletoe arrow. It wasn't lethal if shot at the arm and no harm would be done.

Hod shot the arrow, but he was such a good shot he aimed straight at the heart. The arrow went straight into Balder's chest and killed him instantly.

There was a horrified silence as I stared at Loki and everyone stared at Hod. I grabbed Narvi and pulled him away from the awful sight, hearing Frigg's shrieks of grief and anger. 

"What do we do?" I asked Loki, horrified. He grabbed my arm and we raced out of there, off the rainbow bridge and into Midgard.

"I'm so sorry!" gasped Loki, tears refusing to come. "Oh my god!"

I wrapped my arms around him and knew what I had to do.

"Loki, you stay here. I will return to Asgard and convince them this was not on purpose and protect Narvi. Hide, and do not let yourself be caught until I return for you."

Loki nodded and I returned.

In Asgard, the gods had Narvi tied up as they considered what to do about Loki. I stepped forward.

"To all of you, Loki did not mean this to happen. Hod shot at the heart, rather than the arm, and the foolish prank went wrong. Narvi had nothing to do with this! Please, let him go."

Odin pointed at me and I was tied behind Narvi. I touched his arm gently as he quaked in front of so many people.

"Loki has gone too far!" announced Odin. "We will punish him. Kill the child and use his entrails as rope binding him."

I screamed as they approached Narvi, and before my eyes, my child was murdered. His green eyes were lifeless as he fell to the floor. I felt as if my heart was broken and I collapsed against the bindings, sobbing, screaming in horror. My beautiful son. Gone.


	5. Bound

Nothing mattered anymore.

I was taken to Midgard with Thor and Odin, who had sent some gods ahead to capture Loki. I was numb and cold.

The second I saw Loki, and our eyes connected, he knew.

I saw something break inside him, something that used to be full, and seeing him break even further was torture to me. I reached out to him but Thor pulled my arm away. Loki was bound in chains and we were told to walk.

We walked and walked and I lost track of time. All I knew was that Narvi was dead. Gone.

We reached a cave in the mountains which they entered, and into a labyrinth of caverns. In the deepest one lay a long, flat rock and here lived a venomous viper. Thor snatched up the viper as we entered.

They stripped Loki before they lay him down, to humiliate him still further, and tied him to the rock with what I knew to be Narvi's entrails. I did not tell Loki. He was broken enough already.

When the restraints were secured around his ankles, waist, wrists, and neck, the gods tied the viper above his face. The viper's venom dripped onto his face and burned his skin, making his writhe in silent agony. I tried to stop the venom and Thor handed me a bowl.

They left quickly, sealing us in with an enormous boulder, and I heard more boulders roll into place as they left. We were stuck in the heart of the mountain, until the end.

There was silence. I held the bowl above Loki's face, unable to speak a word, too horrified and numb to speak, sure that my vocal cords would betray me. But Loki broke the silence.

"Sigyn..." his voice cracked and I saw a single tear trace its way down his face. "I am so sorry..."

At the sound of his voice, I broke down, holding the bowl above me while I rested my head on his chest. Loki struggled to lift his head and gave up. "Loki, it's not your fault!" I sobbed, still in the odd position of holding the bowl and leaning on him. "You deserve so much more, as did Narvi. No one deserves this fate!"

"Nor you," said Loki quietly. "I never wanted this to affect you."

The bowl was almost full. I looked at the dripping venom and then at the river in the corner, waited for the next drip and ran as fast as I could, emptied out the venom and returned. Loki gasped with pain as a drip fell on his cheek and burned him.

"I'm so sorry," I said, catching the next drop and using my cloak to wipe off the venom. "But the venom burns through the cloak, too. Here, use it to cover you."

"Thank you," said Loki gratefully as I covered his body in my cloak. It was cold in the cavern and I wondered how long we'd be here, unable to leave his side, unable to be hugged or touched or kissed, unable to help him with his pain. The sound of our breathing and the drip of venom into the bowl was the only thing in the cavern that I could hear.

"Go to sleep, Loki," I said quietly. "I'll make sure you are not touched."

As he fell asleep, I knew we could not wait for our fate. I was going to get us out of here, no matter what.


	6. Breaking the ice

_I was running along a long corridor, trying to get to Narvi. I could hear screaming somewhere far away, and I ran upstairs, into dead ends. I could hear Loki screaming, too, and Narvi's little voice calling 'mama!' as I ran. Their voices faded and I came face to face with a jotun, who smiled at me. "My dear, dear girl!" he said and touched my arm. It froze. My whole body became ice, and then the jotun swung his sword, and I shattered into a million pieces... ___

__I awoke and immediately gasped, realizing I'd fallen asleep. Loki really was screaming, shaking and writhing as the venom dripped onto his skin. I held up the bowl and touched his burned face with my other hand, healing him as well as I could._ _

__"Loki! I didn't mean to..." I said, horrified, watching the wounds heal. Loki had tears running down his temples and cheeks, but he smiled nonetheless._ _

__"At least... you got some sleep..." he managed, and I saw that some had fallen on his tongue. I healed that, too, and thought over the dream I'd had. The jotun, the ice, Loki..._ _

__I gasped and stared at Loki, almost dropping the bowl in the process._ _

__"I know how to get us out of her!" I yelped, realizing what the dream had tried to convey. Loki raised an eyebrow. "You're tied using Narvi's entrails, Loki. I'm sorry to tell you that."_ _

__"I know," he said sadly, quietly, and closed his eyes for a moment with pain._ _

__"He's half-jotun, so if you transformed into your jotun form..."_ _

__"They would turn to ice!" Loki finished the sentence. He looked excited, and I smiled. Then I realized his expression changed to concerned._ _

__"Are you sure you want to see me...?"_ _

__"Loki, I love you no matter what," I said firmly. "Do it."_ _

__Loki's eyes closed and when they re-opened, they were red. His skin melted into blue with delicate lines on his cheekbones and down his whole body. I took off the cloak before it froze and watched as frost covered the bindings. In a matter of minutes, they had turned to ice._ _

__I apologized before holding the bowl over the bindings on Loki's neck, letting the venom drip onto the entrails. They melted and Loki's head jerked away from the viper's venom, slightly disfigured and groaning with pain. I did the same to his wrists and waist and then, finally, his ankles._ _

__As I set the bowl down, I rested a glowing hand on Loki's midsection and the light moved over his body, healing everything that had happened recently, his face going back to normal and the various cuts and scratches from the gods healing over. His skin turned back to normal as I collapsed to the ground, my vision blurring._ _

__"Sigyn? Sigyn!" cried Loki, but he too was worn and sore to help much. He fell to the ground beside me, one arm encircling my waist and drawing me closer to him. I rested my head against his chest, my energy vastly depleted by using so much healing magic._ _

__"I'm fine," I said faintly. "Just need... sleep..."_ _

__Loki held me closer as the world spun around me. I was cold and his bare skin wasn't helping. He felt me shivering and cursed in ancient Norse._ _

__"Useless, having cold skin!" he said and tried to wrap my clothing further around me. I was limp against him._ _

__"Sigyn, don't sleep, darling, you can't, you'll die!" said Loki urgently. I tried to lift my head but I couldn't. I heard an exclamation and Loki moved me so my head was in his lap, and he hovered glowing green fingertips over my heart. Suddenly I felt a pulse of energy, just enough to get up and keep moving. I stumbled and Loki grabbed my arm, putting it around his shoulder and supporting me to the entrance._ _

__I'm not sure how he got us out of there, but he did. We collapsed into the cool trees outside the caverns and immediately fell asleep._ _


	7. Freedom

"Sigyn?"

I awoke to the beautiful view of cool green trees waving above me and blue sky peeking through the branches. I rolled over on the mossy ground and saw Loki, sitting beside me, watching me anxiously. He had my cloak around his waist but had no proper clothing.

"Good morning," I smiled up at him. He smiled back.

"Actually, it's 'good afternoon'. You slept for an entire day." 

I sat up properly and felt the afternoon warmth seep into my bones. I smiled, glad to feel the sun on my skin, and got up slowly. I could tell my magic was regenerating but I wouldn't be able to use it for at least a day. Loki stood, too, and we looked around.

The cavern was down the hill, to the left. Up the hill was what looked like a house of some sort, and forest spread around us right into the horizon. I nodded toward the house and we both began to walk toward it.

I left Loki in the bushes and walked up to the front door, and knocked. An old woman answered it. I told her that we'd been on a camping trip and lost some of our belongings in a river, and she was more than happy to provide me with some jeans and a T-shirt and some food. I left with a backpack full of food and water and two changes of clothes.

"She gave me these odd Midgardian garments," I called, holding out the outfit to Loki. He glared at them but took them, knowing he'd be better off wearing them than nothing at all. I kept watch as Loki changed and when he came out he looked almost Midgardian. His hair gave it away.

"Loki, your hair does not go with the look..." I began, but Loki stopped me with an evil look and I did not press the point. I got into the blouse and jeans I'd been given and put on the sturdy sneakers. I tied my red hair up into a braid and we set off.

"Where are we to go now?" I asked Loki, and he sighed.

"Thor always said he would help me. But I know he is too angry at me. He would only demand that we go back. There was a time when we fought side by side, together. But those days are gone."

He had a saddened look in his eyes. I touched his arm sympathetically and he gave me a small smile.

"I think I might know someone who will put us up..." he began, then trailed off. "He doesn't like me much, but I'm sure, under the circumstances..."

*****AVENGER FACILITY*****  
"What happened here?"

There was a gaping hole in the earth. Loki stared in horror at the devastation. Just an enormous, bombed-out crater.

"I- I don't know! I thought this was their headquarters. I wonder... No. Surely not."

There was a small sound behind us and we turned, looking over the lake to the other side. There was a small jetty and a cottage with smoke coming out of the chimney. We began to walk around the large expanse of water toward it.

When we reached the house, I could hear voices coming from inside. Loki knocked and waited nervously, trying not to let emotion cross his face. A man opened the door, with dark skin and holding a shield decorated with red, blue, and white. 

"What the... Do you guys know this man?" he called over his shoulder. Another face appeared beside him; an old man, his face wrinkled and lined, blue eyes with long eyelashes. He stared at Loki for a long moment before nodding.

"Come inside, please."

Loki was openmouthed at the man's face. I hadn't understood anything that happened. I followed Loki into the cottage, where I found a room full of people.

In the corner was a large green man, wearing glasses and staring at Loki in shock. Beside him was another man, shaved head, who had a bow and quiver propped beside him. There were two women at the table. One was young and had lovely reddish-blonde hair.

"I came for help..." Loki said uncertainly. "What happened to the facility? Who are all these?"

The old man smiled slowly. "We have your old acquaintance, Bruce Banner AKA the Hulk, over here, you know him." The green man raised a hand slowly, looking apprehensive. "Clint, you also know him. My good friend Sam, the new Captain America," the dark-skinned man saluted. "Wanda, who is our powerful and lovely Scarlet Witch." The woman looked at us carefully. "And Carol, who is the protector of the other planets out there. Tony is... dead, and I... Well, you can see what happened to me. I'm Steve." he added for my benefit.

Loki was so shocked, but he took my hand and pulled me forward. "This is my wife, Sigyn. She doesn't know of you, I never told her. I thought you were all still alive. And where is the woman you had in your team?"

"Dead." Bruce Banner said softly, and Clint looked away. 

"Loki, do you have a reason to be here? Where's Thor?" asked Steve, sitting down at the table and gesturing to the couch. I sat down and Loki followed suit, still looking surprised. 

"Thor is in Asgard... But it was an illusion, wasn't it?" Loki said, realization dawning on his face. "It all was. Asgard imploded. I should have known it was too good to be true that Odin would rebuild the city. Instead, he cast an illusion over it." Loki turned to me. "I am sorry, Sigyn. I only sought to protect you."

I stared at him, conscious that the whole room was watching. I turned back to them.

"Please explain what you're all talking about," I said helplessly.

Two hours later, I was up-to-speed on the events of Thanos and the infinity stones. Loki was standing at the window, his back to the room, hands clasped.

"So, Loki," Bruce said as if scared of him. "How did you survive? I watched you die on Thanos's ship!"

"When you meddled with time, I survived," Loki said softly. "I took the tesseract far away until it was safe to return to Asgard. That is why Thor has hated me ever since. I never became the man he grew to love."

I touched his wrist gently and everyone in the room watched me, surprised.

"This is not good," spoke up Wanda, standing up. "If Loki survived, perhaps everything else we did happened too?"

"We can't take chances," Carol said brusquely. "I gotta keep an eye on the other planets. If meddling with time opened other realities, I have to go. Now. Keep me informed." she walked out of the cottage and shot up into the sky.

"Loki, I have to ask you to stay here," Steve said firmly. "Until we work out how this happened."

We were given the small guest room out the back. Loki and Steve began to pull out charts and maps and old records while Bruce pored over a bottle of Pym Particles. I was bored out of my mind, and left the cottage to go for a walk. Standing beside the lake was Wanda. I walked over hesitantly.

"Hey," she said and gave me a small smile. She had a lovely accent. "Did all that time travel bore you?"

I laughed and nodded. "What did you do in the war? What did you lose?" I asked curiously. Her eyes went dark as she looked away from me.

"I lost everything," she said, softly. "My brother, my lover, my friend. But many people lost more than that. I consider myself lucky."

"I'm sorry."

"Do not pity me," she replied. "At least I did not lose my life."

We began to exchange stories and by the time evening fell, we were friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comment or don't at all!!!!


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